


the you of tomorrow

by wintercrystale



Series: in a universe without you [2]
Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - War, Angst, M/M, a really small mention of blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24398029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wintercrystale/pseuds/wintercrystale
Summary: And if Jonghyun isn't completely thorough with his observation, he won't be able to tell that the man standing in front of him used to be his friend from back in the academy."It will be a fight to the death," Minhyun announces.
Relationships: Hwang Minhyun/Kim Jonghyun | JR
Series: in a universe without you [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761733
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	the you of tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> crossposted from my twitter, which was posted last year! this is pretty much a rip-off from fire emblem: three houses because i was in my feelings for sir dimitri

_ 'That's him,' _ Jonghyun thought,  _ 'My old friend, The Crown Prince of The South Regions.' _

This was going to be their last battle of the war. It shouldn't have taken Jonghyun this long to reach the borders and confront his old friend, but so many of Minhyun's armies had reached several towns and he had to take care of those first. It almost scared Jonghyun how he used to fear killing in his first few battles, but now it's just something too natural.

Around him, the field was full of battle cries, swords clashing against swords, blood splattering across the grass and soaking them red. All of these were what Jonghyun had to sacrifice to get to Minhyun.

And If Jonghyun wasn't completely thorough with his observation, he wouldn't be able to tell that the man standing in front of him was his friend from back in the academy.

Where there used to be a perpetual smile etched on those beautiful albeit thin lips, now resided a tight, surly scowl. The eyes that once held the entire night sky and the stars, now only left a void. His hair had grown far longer than what he would've liked back then, it reached his shoulders; even his bangs almost covered his eyes. The arms that used to hold Jonghyun when he's starting to crumble were now hidden beneath black sleeves; his hands always ready on the hilt of his sword.

The heart that used to radiate so much warmth, now blackened in the ashes of dead kins and the Goddesses' whispered commands.

_'That's wrong. He's the king now.'_ Though loath to admit, Jonghyun was cautious at the sight of his _old_ _friend_ , Hwang Minhyun. His left hand was holding his bow; his shoulders trying to weigh the quiver on his back, silently counting how many arrows he had left.

"If it isn't The Dark Knight." Minhyun's voice was even different from back then. It sounded much more mature, a bit gravelly, but still had a hint of what he used to be.

Bracing himself for a dreaded confrontation wasn't easy. Jonghyun hadn't hesitated for even a moment killing all of the southern soldiers he came across, but Minhyun was different.

"Hello, old friend." Jonghyun didn't even try to be careful with his words.

If Minhyun gritted his teeth or had an ill thought about their mentioned past, Jonghyun couldn't see it. How many years had it been that Minhyun had gotten  _ this _ good at hiding his feelings? Was the Minhyun that Jonghyun used to know still there? Or had the darkness consumed him whole? Jonghyun wanted to leave that thought alone.

"It is of no concern to me what… bond we used to have in the past." Even Minhyun's words sounded a lot more refined now, more guarded.

"It's not something we used to have, it's something I still keep in my heart." Jonghyun tried to be persistent, but he himself didn't even know where he was going with it.

And Minhyun was quick to deflect it. "None of my concern."

"Please, Minhyun! This isn't what you wanted!"

"It's what the world needs."

The chainmail on Jonghyun's body started to feel a tad heavier than usual. He's exhausted. He'd lost a lot of his men to this war and he almost had nothing left to fight for. He's not even sure he still had a kingdom to go back to after everything was over. The only thing he could fight for was Hwang Minhyun.

_ "If one day I lost everything, will you still be there, Min?" _

_ "Of course. I'll always be right beside where you stand. We'll fight hand in hand after all, right? It'll be us against the world." _

Funny how it turned out to be just Jonghyun  _ alone _ against the man he considered his whole world.

"A war? That's what you want the world to face?" Jonghyun held himself with poise, not letting his effort go to waste anytime soon.

"The truth. That's what I want people to see."

"About what? That you can't live up to the expectations of your people?" Jonghyun's voice started to raise. He never thought he'd see the day where he'd be mad at Minhyun for such serious issues.

"That war is inevitable!" Minhyun unsheathed his sword. "That Heaven is mad for what they did, and now they must pay!"

Jonghyun tsked. "Will it be a fair fight if I use a bow and you a sword?"

"Then wield your sacred blade, Kim Jonghyun, and face me as an equal," Minhyun growled.

Jonghyun had never wanted to wield a sword anymore ever since he was accused of the assassination of his own father. Alas, the blade was the only thing he had left of his father and he always carried it around. It dangled heavily on his belt now that he's reminded of it.

"So be it." Jonghyun threw his bow to the ground, followed by the quiver on his back, letting the arrow scatter across the ground beneath him.

When Jonghyun unsheathed his sword, a hint of a wicked smile was present on Minhyun's lips. God, would it hurt to get his old smile back? The one where the curve of his lips was actually  _ beautiful _ and his eyes were also smiling. It was such a long time ago when he last saw it, Jonghyun lost count of the years.

"It will be a fight to the death," Minhyun announced, as if it was such a normal thing to say—though, normalcy would be a luxury in these times of war. "May you pay for the sins you committed to Heaven."

It might be that to Minhyun, but this was merely going to be a way for Jonghyun to stall time until he could think of something to stop this madness. He knew  _ his _ Minhyun was still there somewhere, he just had to reach out to the right places.

At that moment, Minhyun lunged forward with an attack. Luckily, Jonghyun knew how to parry like it's the easiest thing to do. This was going to be just like the old times.

_ "I can't believe they're letting us rest." _

_ "And have us dance? I hardly believe that to be a rest. Archery practice is way easier than this." _

_ That day, the main hall was turned into a much more luxurious version of it. They set long tables on the sides with white tablecloths that reached the floor; on top of them were food arranged to look pretty and delicious. They had an area to sit down around the corner where students and professors could eat, but most of the hall was reserved for the people that would care to dance. _

_ It's a ball, after all. _

_ Minhyun turned to Jonghyun with a cute pout on his face. "Oh, come on. This is why you need your dance skills refined." _

_ Seeing Minhyun in a navy blue three piece suit made Jonghyun's heart skip a beat. If he had to watch Minhyun dance with one of their beautiful classmates, he wouldn't be able to bear his feelings. _

_ "We do not need this skill to protect the people," Jonghyun protested weakly. _

_ It made Minhyun raise an eyebrow. What a weak excuse. _

_ "Why did you come here all refined like that, then?" _

_ Jonghyun tucked the sleeve of his maroon suit and stared at his shoes. "I'm only here because you dragged me and I couldn't possibly wear my uniform to a ball." _

_ "So you're here because of me?" Minhyun raised an eyebrow, his lips quirked with a hint of mirth. _

_ Jonghyun sighed heavily. "It's not—" _

_ "Then dance with me." _

_ It almost made Jonghyun choke on his own saliva. "Excuse me, what?" _

_ Minhyun shrugged nonchalantly, his lips turning to show a softer smile. "They only have this once a year, Jonghyun. The world is at the tip of falling to an age of war. I want to at least have a dance with my best friend before that happens. So, let me have this?" _

_ Had Minhyun said it in a tone softer than this, Jonghyun would've melted right then and there. Though, it was already hard to maintain a neutral face with those words making his heart ache. When Jonghyun looked up to assess Minhyun's face, there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. _

_ The man really was looking forward to dancing with Jonghyun. _

_ "Okay, but I'm not to be blamed if I step on your feet," Jonghyun said finally. _

_ Minhyun let out an airy, crisp laugh—Jonghyun wanted to kiss it. The taller then raised his hand, palm facing upwards for Jonghyun to take. _

_ "May I have this dance?" Minhyun asked softly. _

_ Jonghyun took the hand in his own and intertwined their fingers. It had to be said that nobody else's hand would fit this perfectly with Minhyun's, though Jonghyun might be biased. _

_ Minhyun led his friend to the dance floor and rested his other hand on Jonghyun's waist, letting the latter sling an arm around his own shoulder. _

_ They might've started with a slow tempo and a reasonable distance between them, following the rhythm of the music and doing what Minhyun was teaching right then and there; but when the night grew darker and the moon shone brighter, they found themselves clinging to each other not even a hair's breadth away and just swaying to whatever music was playing even if it's a more upbeat one. They didn't care. All they cared about was that they were in each other's arms at that moment. _

_ And if Jonghyun heard an obscure whisper of "I love you," from the man in his arms, he pretended not to. _

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!!! if you ever want to be my friend, hmu on [twitter](https://twitter.com/wintercrystale) or yell at me on [cc](https://curiouscat.me/wintercrystale)!


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